Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), recently visited Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) President Yasser bin Hassan bin Mohammed al-Misehal. The visit, which took place in late September, aimed to deepen the collaborative relationship between the two football bodies, the GFA announced on Friday.

The partnership between GFA and SAFF, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December 2022, emphasizes shared goals in developing grassroots and elite football for both men and women. Under the agreement, SAFF has pledged to host Ghana’s national teams for matches and training camps and to support coaching, refereeing, and administrative exchanges.

This partnership has already delivered significant benefits: two Ghanaian referees, Juliet Appiah and Bless Yao Serlorm, attended a capacity-building program in May 2023. Additionally, Ghana’s Under-17 male national team, the Black Starlets, trained in Saudi Arabia in preparation for the WAFU B U-17 Cup of Nations, hosted in Accra.

Both federations remain committed to advancing football through continued activities, with the goal of fostering growth and success in both countries’ football landscapes.